Shadow Puppets
by aggitatedmaggots
Summary: Who's going to play with me now that hes gone? oneshot. ShikaxTemari chapter 328 spoilers.


A/N woo! First posted Naruto fanfiction! This was a challenge from dectLyagami

TemarixShikamaru "shadow puppets"

word bank: hula dancer, coffee mug, toothpaste

Set roughly around chapter 328 SPOILERS of the manga. Enjoy!

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Shadow Puppets

Such a troublesome woman, getting my couch all wet, using my clothes. sigh Let me explain, it all started when the sand jounin came to deliver a message…

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She had just left the dry, sandy wasteland also known as Sunagakure. The weather there was already iffy, constant sandstorms, gale force winds, blistering heat.

But no rain. Arrogant Temari never thought it could have rained on her mission. Noooooo. She was too tough to get rained on.

Troublesome woman, never thinking things out, planning ahead. Anyway, on the second day of her journey to Konoha, it did rain. Hard. And for hours.

It was very windy, and the temperature was dropping by the minute. (Temari hates the cold). You'd think that bigass fan of hers could have helped in some way. But, that's how she ended up on my doorstep, soaking wet in the pouring rain, with nowhere to go.

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A certain lazy chunin was lounging on his couch enjoying a relaxing game of shogi. He looked out the window as thunder crashed outside "Such troublesome weather," He muttered to himself.

"This wind reminds me a little too much of a certain violent kunoichi." sigh He settled back into the couch cushions, determined to finish his game.

Shikamaru was currently two moves away from victory when a soft impatient knock came on his door. "In this weather…who the hell, Temari?!"

"She looks awful," Shikamaru thought to himself. She was soaking wet, her hair and clothes were plastered to her skin and she was shaking hard. "Hey genius, my mission got rained out… I didn't know who else to go to…" she faltered.

She looked so lost and cold shivering on my doorstep. Where was the hot tempered kunoichi I had come to know?

"Sure Temari, come in, can't leave one of Konoha's most trusted allies out in the cold." He joked. "Haha pineapple head, very funny."

She stepped over the threshold of the door and brought a crapload of rainwater with her.

"Hey, hey, HEY! Woman! You're soaking the carpet!" Temari couldn't even speak through her chattering teeth, so instead she shot him an angry look instead.

'Shhhh, just calm down," Shikamaru looked her over, just noticing how her wet kimono clung to her curves. He looked away reddening, "Stay here and I'll get you a change of clothes. Go stand on the tile for cripes sake."

She watched Shikamaru climb a short flight of stairs and disappear down the hallway. Temari gave a small sigh. "I'd better go stand in the kitchen."

She wandered slowly through the living room, a little disgusted at the old coffee mugs left out on the table. "Okaaaay, moving on," She stepped onto the cold linoleum, glancing around the small kitchen for something warm to drink, besides three day old coffee. "Hmmm… nothing in these cabinets…god Shikamaru, what do you eat!?" she exclaimed.

"For your information woman, I eat plenty, now go change before you freeze completely. Her teeth chattered in what he hoped was thanks. Temari wandered down the hall, clothes in hand searching for the bathroom. "Down the hall to the left woman."

Sheesh.

Finally, Temari thought as she padded down the hall, closingslamming the bathroom door behind her, knocking the toothpaste off of the counter, glaring at it in the meantime. She stripped off her wet kimono and flung it into the shower along with her wet underwear. "I really don't want to take my bra off," she thought to herself "but it's gross." "Oh well." She pulled Shikamaru's warm shirt over her head and stepped into the pants he gave her. Temari looked herself over in the mirror, raking her fingers through her hair with her fingers.

"Shikamaru's clan symbol's on this shirt," she thought "Hmmm… Nara Temari…Hey!" she exclaimed slapping herself a couple times. "What the hell am I thinking?"

Knock knock.

"Hey, you done yet?" She unlocked the door and stepped out

"Wow. She looks so……different." Temari's hair was out of it's usual ponytails, falling on her shoulders framing her face. The shirt, MY shirt, clung to her curves and...

"Oh god she's not wearing a bra! What's wrong with that crazy woman, didn't her brothers teach her about common decency!" Shikamaru flustered, looked away.

"HEY! Genius, can I borrow a brush or what?" she questioned in that impatient way of hers. "Yea sure, just let me go find one." Temari was forced to entertain herself yet again, so, she decided to go back to the kitchen.

Wandering slowly down the hall, pausing to look at some pictures, she made her back to the table and plopped down, staring out the window.

"The storm hasn't let up at all…" she watched a tree in the neighbors yard sway back and forth in the wind, it's leaves tossed around violently.

"Here." Shikamaru handed her a brush. He sat down in the chair across from her, looking out the window with a sad expression.

"Why so glum pineapple head?" she questioned.

"Asuma-sensei and I always played shogi when it rained…." Shikamaru replied wistfully.

"What's wrong, why aren't you playing right now? Did something happen?" Temari pried further. There was a long pause, silence choking the lighthearted mood.

"Temari……… He's dead."

She gasped, an unusual reaction from the stoic girl. "Wh-What happened? Who could have done this?!"

"An Akatsuki member called Hidan," Shikamaru explained "Asuma-sensei didn't stand a chance…"

There was a moment of nostalgic silence.

"Well pineapple head, lets start a new tradition," came Temari's quiet reply, "When it rains, I'll play shogi with you."

Shikamaru quickly blinked away unshed tears, giving Temari a real smile. Not an "I've totally outwitted you" smirk, or a "damn, when will Naruto learn?" chuckle. It was one of those cute lopsided smiles, just for her.

"On one condition," he replied. "If I win, I demand a reward."

"Agreed"

Shikamaru pulled out the shogi board from under the TV cabinet, amidst Monopoly, Risk, and Choji's old hula dancing video tapes.

…….

The game was intense, lasting for over an hour. Both participants were sweating and focused on their shoji pieces, making a soft clickclack in the rain.

A final click echoed through the house as Shikamaru looked up.

"Looks like I win." He smirked, leaning forward and capturing her lips with his own.

Satisfied with his prize the two pulled apart, breathless, yet smiling.

"We _should _make this a tradition."

"What, the kissing or the shogi?"

"Hmm... both," he mumbled as he leaned in again.

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In Honor: Sarutobi Asuma.

Sensei. Father. Uncle. Friend.

RIP sob

AN pt2: so hi again. I like the way this came out, I was just glad I could post something in honor of Asuma-sensei. I wonder what Kurenai will name the baby? Hmmm…

the fetus commands you to review!!!


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